Snowstorm: Rewritten
by Shadeflare123
Summary: Tara's never been someone who likes having company. She doesn't let herself get close to anyone. But sometimes there are people who will worm their way into your heart, and you can't do much about that...Even random people you meet on the beach. (EvexOC) (The rewritten version of an old fanfiction I wrote a while back)
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL. All characters belong to the amazing Hiro Mashima. Not me. The only character I DO own is Tara. Okay? Okay. GOOD.**

**So, uh…Hi. In case you don't know, a while back I started a fanfiction called "Snowstorm". This fanfiction was an EvexOC story. But in the later chapters, I kind of realized that…It was REALLY crappy. Like…Horrible. So, I decided to finish the fanfiction, and then rewrite it! This is the first chapter of the rewritten version of Snowstorm, called "Snowstorm: Rewritten".**

**Uh…Enjoy, even though it'll probably be as horrible as the previous version.**

**I'm so sorry.**

It was a sunny day in the land of Crocus. The ocean tide collided with the warm sand, making it a perfect beach day. Three girls sat in beach chairs:

One with blonde hair.

One with red hair.

And one with brown hair.

And, to the side of a casino located on the beach were three people. Those people were the Trimens: Hibiki Laytis, Ren Akatsuki, and Eve Tearm. The three men had been eyeing said three girls on the beach, and were preparing some strategy for approaching them.

"Lucy and Erza we're familiar with, but the third girl's new." Ren sighed.

"Mhm…Who is she?" Eve asked.

"Ah, let me find her. Chances are she's a Fairy Tail member like Lucy and Erza." Hibiki stated.

He used his Archive magic to pull up several screens and a keyboard. He began typing away, looking at the three separate screens.

"Ah, here she is." Hibiki said after a minute and a half. "Her name's Tara. Tara Prayro. She's eighteen, brown hair, 5"3, hazel eyes, small frame. Staff Requip Magic-"

Ren and Eve looked at each other, and four words were passed through sheer expression:

Hibiki Laytis: Master Stalker.

"Staff Requip…?" Eve asked.

"It's sort of like Erza's magic-Only with Staffs in particular. Each Staff basically allows the user to control whatever element that Staff represents, so Fire Staffs let her control fire, for instance." Hibiki answered quickly.

"Hibiki, you're such a stalker…" Ren muttered.

"I prefer the term 'skilled researcher'." Hibiki retorted.

"Hey, is that a picture of her?" Eve asked.

With the swipe of his hand, Hibiki made one screen flip to the side. It showed the girl he had described at a table, reading a book. She seemed to be too interested in what she was reading to be aware that her picture was being taken.

"Huh, she's cute." Eve stated, grinning.

"Alright, then, you can take her. Ren, you'll take Erza and I'll take Lucy. Got it?" Hibiki said.

"Sounds good."

"Alright."

The three young men walked over to Lucy, Erza, and Tara casually. The three of them basically surrounded the girls with Ren next to Erza, Hibiki next to Lucy, and Eve next to Tara.

"I swear to Mavis, if you three say a word I'll bury you in the sand and leave you to drown." Erza growled, annoyed.

"Hey, now, no need to be violent. Just relax, Erza. Not that I care." Ren stated in his smoothest voice possible.

"Can't a few girls just…Relax?" Lucy asked, exasperated.

"Well, we can help you relax if you want. We're just here to make your day better." Hibiki replied.

"Then leave." Lucy sighed.

Tara set down the book she was reading, and looked up at Eve. "And…Who are you?" She asked, suspicion in her eyes.

"Tara, just…Don't ask them any questions, and don't answer any of theirs." Lucy said.

"Trust me, they get to you after a while." Erza growled.

"Well, I'm Eve Tearm. That's Ren Akatsuki and Hibiki Laytis." Eve replied cheerfully.

His cheeriness sort of…Confused Tara…

"If you're here to simply annoy us…I suggest you leave." Tara replied curtly.

"Well, we're not here to annoy you." Hibiki replied.

"Oh, yeah right." Erza sighed.

"It's hard for me to stand being around a lot of people, just leave." Tara sighed.

"Aw, but we don't wanna leave." Eve replied, his cheeriness still apparent.

"We just want to talk." Ren added. "It's not like we wanted to talk to you, especially, or anything…"

"How about we take you three to the casino and get some food?" Hibiki asked.

"Will you pay for it?" Erza and Lucy asked.

"Yeah, sure." Ren replied.

"Alright, fine…" Lucy sighed. "But only if you pay for everything."

"And buy cake." Erza added.

"Alright, whatever you ladies want." Hibiki said, smiling.

Erza and Lucy hesitantly got out of their chairs.

"Tara, are you coming?" Lucy asked.

"…No, I'll stay here." Tara stated, somewhat quiet.

"Alright…" Erza replied.

The four headed over to the casino, Erza and Lucy trying to maintain a distance.

"Aren't you going to go with them?" Tara asked Eve. They were the only ones left.

And then there were two.

"Not unless you are. Which I'm pretty sure you aren't, considering you're clearly the type of person who doesn't like crowds." Eve replied, still grinning.

"No, I'm not." Tara replied. "Which is why I wish you'd go with them."

"Well, I'd prefer to stay here with you!" Eve stated.

Still grinning.

"Er…Why?" Tara asked.

"Because, you're cute!" Eve replied cheerily, patting her head.

What the hell?

"Don't call me cute, and don't pat my head." Tara growled, annoyed.

"Aw, okay." Eve sighed.

The Snow Mage had kept her talking for about an hour. Tara became increasingly annoyed, until she eventually stated that she had to go return the book to Levy and ran off. She sped toward Honeybone, until she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to see Eve was following her, holding something. Tara sped up her pace, to the point of where she was almost running. But unfortunately for her, Eve caught up with her.

"Tara!" He shouted, finally grabbing her wrist.

"Mavis, what do you want?!" Tara growled.

"You said you had to return that book to Levy, but…You left it out on the beach." Eve stated, holding the book out to her.

_Oh. Well…Crap._

"Er…Thanks." Tara responded curtly before turning and walking away.

Eve smiled softly. He knew she would turn around eventually. In 3…2…1…

Sure enough, Tara turned her head just a little bit. Just out of curiosity. And there he was, smiling at her. She walked away even faster, feeling awkward.

So, very awkward.

**God I feel like this was a weak first chapter. Oh well…It'll hopefully get better later on.**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: Blah blah Fairy Tail, blah blah I don't own it, blah blah blah…**

**So…Here we go!**

Tara sighed as she opened the door to Honeybone, quickly closing the door behind her. She walked over to her bed and promptly slumped down face-first into her pillow.

"Oh, there you are, Tara. We got back about fifteen minutes ago." Lucy greeted, looking up from the paper she was writing on.

"Where were you…?" Erza asked curiously.

"Dealing with the most annoying person I've ever met in my life." Tara replied.

"I'm so sorry." Lucy stated, trying not to laugh.

"Ugh…How is it that people can irritate me so much?" Tara groaned.

"People are like that. But sometimes they grow on you." Erza chuckled.

Tara sighed. "Whatever…"

"Hey, isn't the opening event for the Grand Magic Games supposed to happen soon…?" Lucy asked Erza.

"It goes on at midnight." Erza answered.

"Oh, that…I'm supposed to head to where it's being held in a few hours." Tara sighed.

"I'm going to head out and look for Levy-chan…I'll see you two later." Lucy said, smiling as she left.

"Speaking of which, where's Wendy?" Erza asked.

"I…Don't know…" Tara stated, getting up.

"Hm…The event starts soon! Lucy had better hurry up and get back…And where is everyone else?" Erza asked, distressed. "Warren, are you there?"

A voice rang in Tara's head. "Yeah, I'm here."

"Where's Wendy?" Tara asked.

"…I don't know…I'll ask the others to look for her." Warren stated.

"Alright." Erza replied.

But as the hours passed by, Wendy was nowhere to be found. Tara had gone out to look for the missing girl and her Exceed, as Wendy had always been rather kind to her. But soon, midnight struck. Tara looked up worriedly…She hoped that someone had taken her place, and continued searching. Eventually, Lisanna and Happy found Wendy and Carla unconscious. Tara was both relieved and worried…What had happened to Wendy?

…**The Next Day…**

"Tara."

…

"Tara!"

…

"TARA!"

"Gyah!"

CRASH!

"Ow…" Tara growled, rubbing her head. She had leaped off her bed out of surprise.

"Sorry, but…The event's about to start…" Levy said apologetically.

"O-Oh…" Tara mumbled, getting to her feet.

Tara and Levy quickly left Honeybone, and headed straight for the stadium that, of course, none of Fairy Tail's two teams knew of. They entered the crowded arena, quickly running through the hallways and up to the stands where the rest of Fairy Tail was eagerly waiting. Tara was tired from falling off her bed and then being forced to run across the town, and sat down hoping to catch a few last minutes of sleep. But then, a booming voice jolted her from near sleep.

"THE EIGHTH PLACE TEAM HAS ARRIVED AT THE COLOSSEUM! IT'S TIME TO INTRODUCE OUR COMPETING GUILDS!" The voice shouted.

"G-Gah…" Tara muttered, her ears ringing.

"I'm Chapati Lola, covering today's events! I'm accompanied by former Magic Council member, Yazima-san!" A chipper voice said into the microphone.

"It's my pleasure to be here." Yazima said. He sounded old.

"For day one's guest, we are privileged to have Jenny Realight of Blue Pegasus, also known as Miss Fiore, join us!" The chipper voice continued.

"We're gonna win this year!" A female voice said.

Ah, Jenny Realight…Tara heard about her somewhere…

"OUR EIGHTH TEAM! RETURNING FROM SEVEN YEARS OF SLEEP! FAIRY TAIL!"

Tara's guildmates shouted at the top of their lungs…But the crowd's booing and hisses resounded even louder. Tara sunk further into her seat…Seething with rage. Sure, Fairy Tail's strength had greatly decreased when the Tenrou Team disappeared, but they were back now! That wasn't fair…

Then, on the ledge keeping the audience from falling, a young-looking girl was cheering. Tara was shocked by her sudden appearance…_Isn't that the First Master of Fairy Tail? Mavis Vermillion?_

"OUR SEVENTH PLACE TEAM! THE HOUNDS OF HELL, QUATRO CERBERUS!"

"OUR SIXTH PLACE TEAM! DANCERS OF THE OCEAN, MERMAID HEEL!"

"OUR FIFTH PLACE TEAM! THE WINGS THAT SPARKLE IN THE DARK, BLUE PEGASUS!"

Tara looked down at the competitors. For some reason, Eve caught her eye. He glanced up and winked at her, before briefly saying something to Hibiki. And…Is that a rabit?

_What the hell…?_

"OUR FOURTH PLACE TEAM! THE GODDESS OF LOVE AND WAR! LAMIA SCALE!"

"OUR THIRD PLACE TEAM! A FIRST-TIME GUILD, RAVEN TAIL!"

Raven Tail…? Tara narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the Raven Tail members. Did they really take Fairy Tail's name…?

"COULD THIS BE THE OPPORTUNITY THEY NEED? OUR SECOND PLACE TEAM, FAIRY TAIL B TEAM!"

Tara couldn't help but grin at Fairy Tail A Team's shocked expression as Mirajane, Juvia, 'Mystogan', Gajeel, and Laxus stepped out into the arena. Natsu was shouting something at Gajeel, while the rest stood stunned. Makarov began to laugh hysterically, shouting "SEE?! THAT'S WHAT FAIRY TAIL IS!"

"AND FINALLY, OUR FIRST PLACE TEAM! THE BEST, THE UNDEFEATED! SABERTOOTH!"

The crowd's roaring increased drastically as Sabertooth took the field. Tara growled in frustration and covered her ears.

"Now then, here are the programs for the Grand Magic Tournament!" Chapati's voice rang.

A wooden board appeared out of thin air. It was large, and Tara saw the words "Hidden + Battle" inscribed on it, she assumed for today.

"Teams have varying points, based on their placement in the preliminary event!" He continued. "The rules for the battles are simple. The sponsor will choose who goes up against who, considering factors such as fan favorites! The selected members will fight with a time limit of thirty minutes! They will fight until one is knocked out or the time runs out. The winning team will get ten points, while the losing team will receive none! In the case of a tie, both teams will receive five points." Chapati explained.

"So…We could get unlucky…" Lisanna sighed.

"Now, it's time for Hidden to start! Each team will send out one member to compete! The rules will be explained when the members have gathered." Chapati's voice rang.

Tara watched the selected members. Yaeger from Quatro Cerberus, Beth from Mermaid Heel, Nullpudding from Raven Tail, Eve from Blue Pegasus…

…Hm…

Rufus from Sabertooth, Lyon from Lamia Scale, Gray from Fairy Tail A Team…

_Don't screw this up, Snowcone._

And finally, Juvia from Fairy Tail B Team. Tara sighed…Gray had better not distract her in this.

_Juvia, Gray…Be careful._

_You too, Eve._

**Mostly filler, and I'm sorry about that! There was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, but other than that it was just building up to the next chapter. Anyway, see you all later!**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: Fairy Tail? Haha, I don't own that! What makes you think I'll ever own Fairy Tail? Hahaha! You're funny!**

**Not really.**

**Hidden time!**

Tara watched as the members gathered in the center. She paid particular attention to Gray and Juvia, as winning this could determine the whole tournament.

And not that she'd admit it, but she was also paying attention to Eve.

Perhaps she was doing it simply because of her odd encounter with him. Or maybe it's because of his childish behavior. But either way, she watched him as well.

"Field, open!"

Tara watched in shock as a city literally materialized out of thin air. She gaped as each competitor was separated from the others, shaking her head to make sure she wasn't imagining things. But no, everyone else was just as taken aback as she was. Tara looked as screens appeared in the air, showing each competitor.

"The competitors will not be able to know where everyone else is. You all will be both hiding and seeking. You have to find the others in the town, and attack them. If you land the attack successfully, you will gain one point while the person you hit loses one and is teleported somewhere else in the town." Chapati explained once more.

But then, the twist of the event came in. A bunch of clones of the competitors appeared in the town, crowding it. There were hundreds of clones…Hundreds of every competitor.

"Those are your clones. If you mistakenly attack one, you'll lose a point and get teleported somewhere else in the town."

Tara narrowed her eyes. So…That's the trick, then. You have to find the real person, but remain hidden yourself. _Damn you, organizers._

"START! DISAPPEAR LIKE A BLACK CAT IN THE DARKNESS OF NIGHT!"

Tara watched the screens, each individual competitor seemed to be in deep thought. Juvia randomly hugged a Gray clone, and lost a point. _Really, Juvia…?_

Then, Gray attacked Nullpudding. But it turns out that it was his clone. Gray lost a point and was teleported elsewhere. _Clever…_

Tara watched as Gray strayed into the crowd of clones. But when she saw Nullpudding behind him, she winced when Gray got attacked again. _Is that guy purposefully attacking Gray specifically…?_

"In this field of both themselves and their opponents, how could you find the real foe?" Chapati asked the audience.

"There are several ways. You could detect their magic, for instance." Yazima responded.

"Hehe. I bet Eve-kun would have a more clever idea." Jenny stated cheerfully.

"Hm…Where is that guy, anyway?" Tara asked herself.

"Why do you ask?" Lisanna asked.

"No reason." Tara replied.

As Gray was walking, something popped up out of the ground. Beth fired…carrots…at Gray, who narrowly dodged them. But then, Beth got hit by Yaeger, who got hit by Lyon. Tara was having trouble following everything that was happening-Things were moving so quickly. Juvia launched down and hit Lyon, but then she got attacked by Nullpudding.

"Bastard…What does he have against Fairy Tail?" Tara growled.

But then, the snow started to fall. Tara looked at each of the screens, trying to find who started it. But she realized it quickly: Eve.

_That's…Honestly genius. _Tara thought, impressed.

Eve scored three points in a row. He got attacked by Lyon, and got teleported somewhere else. Tara looked down when Nullpudding attacked Gray again. When Rufus from Sabertooth launched his omni-directional attack at every single opponent, Tara couldn't help but widen her eyes.

_How…How did he do that?_

Nullpudding dodged, and launched up at Rufus. Tara thought for certain he'd land a hit, but when Nullpudding phased right through him…Tara shook her head in disbelief. Rufus then attacked the short purple-skinned man, putting him in first place. Then, the game was over. Another board appeared in the air, listing the ranks of every competitor.

First Place: Sabertooth.

To be expected.

Second Place: Raven Tail.

Damnit.

Third Place: Lamia Scale.

Hm...That guy, Lyon, is fairly strong.

Fourth Place: Blue Pegasus.

Not bad, Eve…

Fifth Place: Mermaid Heel.

Interesting.

Sixth Place: Quatro Cerberus.

Hmph.

Seventh and Eighth Place had gone to Fairy Tail B Team and Fairy Tail A Team. Juvia and Gray walked off the arena with their heads hanging. Tara tried to ignore the crowd's insults. The anger was apparent on her face, apparently, as Eve glanced up at her with a sympathetic look before walking off with his teammates. For some reason, it gave Tara an odd sense of comfort. Lucy was chosen to battle Flare from Raven Tail. Tara watched with interest, as she wanted Lucy to somehow avenge Gray. She nodded in approval when Lucy summoned Taurus and Scorpio and landed a hit on Flare. But the girl's hair grew into a wolf…Lucy summoned Cancer, who cut the wolf into pieces. Flare dug her hair into the ground, and it shot up and caught Lucy's ankles. The red-haired girl swung Lucy around, throwing her on the ground. Lucy took out her whip and caught Flare's ankle. The two went flying, eventually releasing each other. Flare sent her hair underground again, and Lucy tried to figure out where it was coming from. Tara didn't notice Flare's hair by Asuka at all. She wrapped her hair around Lucy's mouth, keeping her silent. She could only watch in shock as Flare threw Lucy around, eventually holding her up with her hair. Then, Natsu came barging into the stands. He grabbed Flare' hair and began to tear it to pieces.

…_That bitch! That's why Lucy wasn't doing anything!_

Lucy summoned Gemini, who turned into Lucy…In a bath towel...

Tara shook her head.

The two began to chant something, as magic began appearing around them. Tara grinned as a blinding light shot at Flare…

But then everything vanished.

Gemini? Gone. All those planets and stars that appeared? Gone. And Lucy collapsed to the ground.

And cried…

…**The Following Evening…**

Tara stood up from the chair she was sitting in. "I…I'm going out for a walk." She stated, before walking out of the small inn. She let the door swing and close behind her. She kept her head down as she walked through the brightly lit town, deep in thought.

_Raven Tail…They attacked Wendy, purposefully went after Gray in Hidden, and nearly hurt a child for the purpose of basically torturing one of our members. Why…? Is there some reason they hate us?_

_I know the master is Makarov's son. And Makarov seemed upset during the whole thing. Is this some father-son conflict…?_

Tara was so knee-deep in her wondering that she didn't see the person she was about to run into. She snapped out of it when she crashed into the last person she was expecting.

"Oh, hey Tara." Eve greeted cheerfully.

"Oh, it's you." Tara said. "Erm, hi."

"What brings you out here?" Eve asked her.

"I could ask you the same thing." She replied.

"Well, I rather like this city, so I came out just to sightsee. But I'm pretty sure you came here to clear your head because something's bothering you." Eve said.

_How did he know…? _"Well, that isn't of your concern." Tara countered.

"Well, that doesn't mean I can't try and help you get rid of whatever's bothering you." He replied. "So, what's bothering you?"

"Like I said, it's none of your concern." Tara repeated.

"Come on, you can tell me!" Eve said cheerfully, putting his hand on her shoulder.

_Seriously…? _"…If you have to know, I'm just bothered by today's events." Tara said, giving in.

"Oh. I get it. But don't worry, it's only the first day. Fairy Tail's got this tendency to take a beating and then come back undefeatable." Eve replied.

"And how would you know?" Tara responded bitterly.

"Oh, let me tell you the story!" Eve said excitedly. "Seven years ago, there was this guild called Oracion Seis. They were a Dark Guild, see. The Magic Council called on four Guilds to send a set of members to an area they believed Oracion Seis would strike at. Oracion Seis was after this powerful magic called Nirvana, which could transform light into darkness, and darkness into light. The four Guilds they called on were Blue Pegasus, Caitshelter, Lamia Scale, and Fairy Tail. Lucy, Gray, Natsu, and Erza were chosen to represent Fairy Tail. Hibiki, Ren, Ichiya, and I were chosen to represent Blue Pegasus. But long story short, all of us who formed the 'Light Team' got destroyed the first time we fought Oracion Seis. And when Lucy, Gray, Natsu, and Happy fought the head of Oracion Seis for the first time, they got defeated again. But they stood back up and fought again. And then we won." Eve explained.

You could see the nostalgia in his eyes.

"…Alright, you win this round." Tara surrendered.

Eve took his hand off her shoulder. For some reason, she felt somehow cold when he did. "And you know, the Tenrou Team was gone for seven years. But they bounced back up yet again. This is another case of that-Just you wait. Fairy Tail's going to come back even stronger." Eve continued.

Tara nodded. "So, you're basically saying we're going to beat Blue Pegasus?"

"Th-That's not what I meant!"

"Yes it is."

"No it isn't!"

"You kind of just said it."

"Shush."

**Am I the only one who HAS NOT FORGIVEN FLARE FOR WHAT SHE DID? If you read the manga, you'll know that *spoiler involving Flare*. I read the manga, but….SEEEEEEERIOUSLY? I CANNOT FORGIVE HER! *ranting to my mother who doesn't even watch Fairy Tail but allows me to vent my frustration to her***


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL. The only character I own is Tara. I ALSO DO NOT OWN "WANTED" BY HUNTER HAYES-But I love dat song so I wish I owned it…**

**So, um…Halloween special.**

**A day late.**

The sun shone over the beautiful town of Crocus. Every child that day was looking out their windows, eagerly awaiting for the sun to fade into night.

It was Halloween.

The night when kids would dress up and visit houses, asking for candy. When people would decorate their homes with different accessories like spider webs and bats, maybe even orange lights.

Tara hated it.

Her father had never let her partake in the holiday. Tara had never experienced that joyful feeling when the door opened, revealing a friendly face and a bowl of candy by the door.

But today, at the bar…

"Tara, are you going to dress up for Halloween?" Lucy asked her that day.

"What? No." Tara answered.

"…What? You have to, it's Halloween!" Lucy protested.

"Aren't we all a little too…Old for that?" Tara sighed.

"Too old for trick-or-treating, maybe, but dressing up? Never!" The blonde-haired Mage replied. "And plus, Crocus holds a festival every Halloween! You have to dress up!"

"Er, I'll stay here, thank you very much." Tara stated, attempting to go back to her book. But Lucy persisted.

"Tara, come on. You never take part in anything Magnolia puts on. Join in for once!" Lucy said.

"No thanks." Tara said, a sense of finality in her voice.

"Ugh…Erza!" Lucy called.

The scarlet-haired woman walked over. "Yes, Lucy?"

"Tara doesn't want to celebrate Halloween…" Lucy sighed.

"What?" Erza growled. A sword materialized into her hand, which she pointed at Tara. "Tara, you never participate. Join in once and we will never bother you about it again."

Tara looked at the sword, inches from her face. She nervously glanced up at Erza, then Lucy, then back at the weapon in front of her. "F-Fine…"

"Good!" Erza cheered, letting the sword fade.

"Come on, Tara, let's go get your costume!" Lucy proclaimed, grabbing Tara's hand and dragging her out of the bar.

"Uwah!" Tara cried out in shock.

"Alright, there's this great Halloween shop I know that's perfect! Hopefully there are still costumes left, since you're buying it kind of late…" Lucy spoke, saying her words a mile a minute.

"E-Er, okay…" Tara replied.

Lucy dragged her down the street to an orange and black building. The two girls went into the store, which was filled with different decorations and costumes. There were smoke machines on the top of the shelves, spewing smoke that gave an odd sort of atmosphere. Lucy released her grip on Tara, who

"Alright, let's look at the costumes!" Lucy said excitedly.

"Alright…" Tara sighed.

Tara proved to be the _hardest _person to buy a costume for in existence. Lucy tried everything-It had been at least an hour that she'd tried to persuade Tara to at least _try something on._

"Well, what about a raccoon?" Lucy said, the frustration in her voice apparent.

"No." Tara said.

"Um, a fox?" Lucy tried.

"No." Tara repeated.

"Ergh…A crayon?" Lucy asked.

"No." Tara said again.

They started walking back down the row of shelves for what seemed like the hundredth time. The two girls seemed equally irritated.

"What about this?"

"No."

"What about this one?"

"No."

"This one?"

"No."

Lucy let out a groan of frustration. She and Tara began to walk away from the line of shelves, when they saw a teenage girl with her mother.

"It's a shame that it doesn't fit you-It's such a cute costume!" The mother said.

"Oh well…" The teenage girl sighed.

The mother put the costume (which was folded and in a large plastic case) back on the shelf, and the teenage girl and her mother walked away. Lucy walked over to the costume they put back on the shelf.

"Tara, this is PERFECT!" Lucy cheered.

Tara sighed. "What is it?"

Lucy pulled the costume off the shelf. The picture on the front of the plastic case showed a girl wearing the costume. The costume was a long dress that went to the wearer's knees, with a large silvery ribbon around the waist that had small white snowflakes spread around on it. The dress itself was white with silvery-white snowflakes on it and glitter spread out on it. It also featured wispy white wings that had glitter as well. The dress had white sleeves that were see-through. In big white letters on the top of the plastic case were the words 'Snow Fairy'.

The costume was actually quite beautiful.

_Heehee…This is perfect. Eve'll love this..._ Lucy thought, grinning.

"Uh…It might work…" Tara said slowly.

"Go try it on!" Lucy said excitedly, giving the costume to Tara.

The two girls walked to the back of the store where several changing rooms were located. Tara walked into one, and changed into the costume.

"Taraaaa, you look beautiful!" Lucy exclaimed.

"E-Er…Thanks…" Tara stuttered.

…**Several Hours Later…**

The whole town was lit up with orange lights. The moon glowed brightly on this Halloween night…Stalls with masks and candy littered the streets, including some face-paint stands. Children dashed about, laughing and dressed up as all sorts of things.

Three young men also walked the streets, exploring the city.

"I can't believe you guys dragged me into a polar bear hoodie." Eve sighed.

Hibiki and Ren had persuaded Eve to put on a polar bear hoodie, complete with a grayish-white color and small ears on top of the hood, which they had made him put over his head.

The whole thing was just amusing to his fellow teammates.

"Well, you have to admit it's fitting." Ren stated.

"You guys aren't dressed up!" Eve growled.

"Well…You know, we're too old for this." Hibiki stated.

"And you_ are_ the youngest…" Ren added.

"Whatever." Eve sighed.

The three walked the streets, taking in the sights of the decorations and lights. There were even a few Mages performing tricks for the younger kids, who were cheering with glee. Everything seemed bright and happy. Eve glanced over his shoulder, and stopped. Ren and Hibiki noticed this, and stopped as well.

"Hey, Eve, what are you staring at?" The two asked.

"U-Uh, you guys go on ahead. I'll catch up…" Eve stated.

Hibiki looked at Eve, then followed his line of sight to what he was looking at.

Of course, it was Tara.

The Archive mage grinned. "Come on, Ren, let's do what he says."

"Alright, but…" Ren began. Hibiki nodded toward Tara, who was walking with Lucy and Erza. "Ohhh…Good luck, Eve." Ren continued, grinning and walking away with Hibiki.

Eve, gathering his courage, walked over to Tara, Lucy, and Erza. Seeing him, Lucy and Erza laughed a bit and quietly walked away, whispering about how well their plan had worked.

Tara, who was looking down at a bowl of candy, glanced up at the Snow Mage. Eve could see how much work had been put into her appearance. Her hair fell down to the middle of her back instead of being up in its usual ponytail or braid, and was perfectly cut (he assumed it had been done by Cancer). She must have visited a face-paint shop, as there was a snowflake delicately painted onto her cheek. She had white heels on to match her costume.

She looked absolutely stunning.

Tara looked at Eve. She almost smiled at his costume; He looked adorable. She knew Erza and Lucy had walked away, leaving her with him. His bangs were visible, despite the fact that he had his hood up. She noticed the little polar bear ears, a nice touch.

Ah, he did indeed look adorable.

Not that she'd admit to thinking that.

"O-Oh, uh…Hi." She stuttered.

"Hi, Tara." Eve replied, trying not to stare at her too much.

The two walked away from the stand and down the street.

"Sorry-I have to say, you look gorgeous." Eve commented.

Tara blushed, which Eve smiled at. "U-Uh, thanks."

"No problem. It's the truth, after all." Eve replied, winking at her.

Tara looked down, hoping to hide her blush. But of course, she didn't.

"You know, they're going to have fireworks at eleven down by the town square." Eve said. "Are you going?"

"Yeah, I'm going. It's about ten-thirty, right?" Tara asked.

"Mhm. I'm glad you're coming, it's a great show every year." He answered.

"So I've heard. By the way, the polar bear costume was a nice choice." Tara said, grinning and looking up at him.

"Ugh. Ren and Hibiki made me wear it." Eve muttered.

"I know the feeling. Lucy and Erza made me wear this." Tara stated.

"Well, I should thank them then." Eve replied, smiling.

"Sh-Shut up." Tara stuttered.

"Well, I happen to love snow. So…That means I'm going to have a hard time not complementing you." Eve said, his smile growing wider.

"Whatever." Tara muttered.

"Heh. You're so cute, you know that?" Eve said, thinking out loud.

"What?"

"Hm? Nothing."

"You said something."

"No, I didn't. Come on, the fireworks start in ten minutes."

Tara and Eve walked down the road to the large central square of Crocus. The square had tiles of white and red, stretching out like a flower. In the center stood a tall, beautiful fountain made of marble. The center of the fountain was a spiral that water shot out of. The water appeared to be 'carried' down by little marble mermaids.

"It's…Beautiful. I've never been here before." Tara stated.

"I'm surprised you haven't been here before. And yes, it is beautiful." Eve replied, smiling.

"…Why are you always smiling?" Tara asked.

"What do you mean?" Eve asked in reply.

"You're…Always smiling. Always cheery. Why is that?" Tara asked.

"Because smiling lifts the mood around other people, and sometimes it just feels good to smile." He replied, and of course, smiling at the same time. "You seem happier when I smile, or at least a bit more gentle." He continued, and winked.

Tara rolled her eyes. "Sure I do."

More and more people walked into the town square, anticipating the firework show. Soon, a booming sound was heard and sparks lit the sky. Tara marveled at the sight of the fireworks in the sky…They were gorgeous. She smiled as color scattered in the sky with a loud boom. Eve glanced at her, noticing that the fireworks were reflected in her eyes. She noticed that he was staring at her, and looked over at him. He looked back up at the fireworks quickly, feeling somehow awkward. Tara looked up at the fireworks as well. Another minute passed before the fireworks stopped, and people quickly left the square.

"So, um…I'll see you tomorrow…" Eve stammered.

"Maybe." Tara responded, nodding her head.

_Maybe._

**By the way, my birthday's on the fourth, super excited! Anyway, happy November everyone!**


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL. The only character I own is Tara.**

**Guys. I'm SOOOOOO sorry! My Word program is NOT working-Like, it won't even open. I've had to resort to WordPad...I'm sorry! But I'm back now, and HOPEFULLY back to updating.**

**Yyyyyyyyyyeah...**

The roar of the crowd sent another wave of pain through Tara's head. The second round of battles was today, and the audience was louder than ever. The battle taking place?

Ren Akatsuki vs. Arania Web.

The dust settled around the two, and they engaged in a short conversation.

"You seem to be stronger than last year, Arania." Ren said, grinning.

"Is a man from Blue Pegasus allowed to hit a woman, Ren-chan...?" Arania asked.

"The second round! It seems both parties are very agressive!" Chapati stated over the microphone.

"Indeed! A good competition!" Yajima stated.

"Go, Ren-kun! I'll cheer for you from here!" Jenny cheered.

"Huh?"

"You're too careless, Ren-chan!"

"Gah!"

Tara shook her head. _She's right. That WAS careless..._

The brunette looked over at Blue Pegasus's stand, just to see their reactions. Hibiki had a look of surprise, likely surprised by the fact that Ren had been caught off-guard. Eve had concern in his eyes.

_Oh, how cute. He actually cares about his teammate..._

Ichiya was frowning, which was unusual for him. The bunny was...Well, the bunny can't change his/her expression.

"What's wrong with you, Ren-chan?! Come on!" A voice called.

Tara looked over at Lamia Scale's stand...A pink-haired girl was calling out with worry in her voice. An old lady next to her seemed to scold her...

"How dare you cheer for the enemy team, Sherry!" She said.

"Calm down, she IS his fiance after all..." A young man next to them said.

"Shush! SPIN!" The old lady commanded, spinning her pointer finger.

The young man yelped in surprise as he was spun around and around quickly.

_Is that magic or is he spinning because she told him to...? _Tara wondered, amused.

"Sh-She's not my fiance! We're just resigned to being together!" Ren yelled up at them.

"Sherry IS his fiance...Right?" Tara asked, confused.

"You're always so clingy..." He muttered. "But when I'm without you, I just can't get into it..."

"Ren-chan..." Sherry said, blushing.

"Oh, brother..." Tara sighed.

"I simply can't look uncool in front of you, Sherry." Ren stated. He held out his hands, air flowing into them.

"What's he going to do...?" Tara asked.

"You'll see." Mirajane answered.

"Aerial Phose!"

"KYAHHHH!"

"And the winner is...Ren Akatsuki of Blue Pegasus!" The voice boomed. "As of now, Blue Pegasus has scored 14 points! Mermaid Heel has scored 3 points!"

"What the...?!" Tara was astonished. "...Did he really just take her out in one shot like that?"

"Of course he did! The Trimens, despite their attitudes, are actually pretty strong." Mirajane answered.

"Really? They all just seem like a bunch of players." Tara replied, looking over at the guild members.

Ichiya and the bunny were doing some odd celebratory dance together, while Eve and Hibiki simply had proud looks on their faces.

"Speaking of which...You've been spending a lot of time with one Trimen in particular..." Mirajane said, a grin slowly spreading on her face.

Tara looked away. "Oh, really? Who would that be?" She asked.

"You know who." Mirajane replied.

"What are you suggesting?" Tara said, her voice low.

"Well it's pretty obvious that Eve lik-" Mirajane started.

"Listen, Eve is nothing more than an acquaintance, okay?" Tara cut in, whipping around to face the white-haired Mage. "An extremely annoying acquaintance."

Mirajane just sighed, a slight smile still on her face. "Whatever you say, Tara-chan." She replied. "Anyway, the third match is starting."

"THE THIRD BATTLE OF THE DAY! WARCRY OF QUATRO CERBERUS VERSUS ORGA NANAGEAR FROM SABERTOOTH!"

"Sabertooth..." Tara muttered.

The roar of the crowd intensified...It got twice as loud. Sabertooth was the most popular guild after all, and everyone was cheering for Orga. However, Quatro Cerberus was battling the crowd's roars with their own cries for their Guildmate, Warcry.

As the two opponents took the field, the gong sounded. Warcry began sobbing hysterically...

"Er...What kind of magic is that?" Gajeel asked.

"He uses Tear Magic, I think. But...I can't really remember what it does..." Tara answered.

Suddenly, Orga released a huge amount of black lightning at Warcry. The Quatro Cerberus Mage howled in pain before dropping to the ground in an instant.

"GAME OVER! THE BLACK THUNDER OF ORGA DRIED HIS TEARS IN A FLASH! The winner is Orga Nanagear from Sabertooth! This means that Sabertooth has a perfect first day with 20 points! Quatro Cerberus has only 2 points! What a pity!" The voice shouted.

Tara shook her head. "That was over too quickly."

"Poor guy." Laxus sighed.

"Hey, Orga's requested a mic to be brought out." Mirajane stated, pointing to him.

"THE STRONGEST, THE STRONGEST, NUMBER ONE! WE'RE THE LEADERS, SABERTOOTH! THE STRONGEST, THE STRONGEST, NUMBER ONE! WE'RE THE LEADERS, SABERTOOTH!" Orga sang...shouted...yelled...?

"Oh, Mavis, please stop him..." Tara groaned, putting her hands over her ears.

"E-Erk! How loud can he get?!" Gajeel yelled.

"THE STRONGEST, THE STRONGEST, NUMBER ONE! WE'RE THE LEADERS, SABERTOOTH!"

"They're really the number one guild?!" Laxus asked.

Orga took a bow and walked out of the arena, mic in hand. Warcry staggered out as well, actual tears in his eyes. It was time for the final battle of the day...

"MYSTOGAN OF FAIRY TAIL B TEAM, VERSUS JURA NEEKIS OF LAMIA SCALE!"

Tara, unknowing of his actual identity, had always referred to him as Mystogan (being the reserve member for Fairy Tail B Team).

"This is unlucky..." Laxus sighed.

"Going up against Jura..." Mirajane said worriedly.

"Is he really that strong...?" Gajeel asked.

"Of course he is. He's one of the Ten Great Wizard Saints." Tara answered.

"I'm not sure even Erza and I together could take him on..." Mirajane said, shaking her head.

"Leave it to me." Mystogan (Jellal) stated.

Tara muttered a good luck as he entered the arena. "He'd better win..."

"JURA NEEKIS OF LAMIA SCALE, VERSUS MYSTOGAN OF FAIRY TAIL B TEAM! LET THE FINAL MATCH OF THE DAY...BEGIN!"

The gong sounded, ringing around the arena. Mystogan charged at Jura, Staffs floating in the air.

"Heh. I like his Magic." Tara stated, thinking of her own Staffs.

"Figures." Mirajane replied, smiling.

Jura caused a number of pillars to erupt out of the ground. Mystogan managed to run between them. He cast a spell which created 5 magic circles into the air, and an electric charge to be sent at Jura. But when the dust settled, a giant fist shot forward towards Mystogan.

"Three-layered circle! Mirror Water!"

The fist ricocheted off the magic circle and back at Jura. But the earth mage simply redirected it back, causing it to hit Mystogan.

"Ouch..." Tara muttered.

Then, Mystogan seemed to change his Magic. His body became enveloped in a yellow glow, and he rocketed around the arena. Jura tried to block him with a wall, but he moved around it and managed to hit him. Mystogan flew around the arena, and then into the sky. Jura finally managed to knock him down, but he had drawn magic circles in the air.

"Magic circles...?" Mirajane asked, confused.

"True Heavenly Body Magic...Cerma!" Mystogan shouted.

The sky became covered in black and purple clouds. The audience was silent with shock.

"W-What the...?" Gajeel stated.

But then, Mystogan clamped his hands over his mouth. The clouds vanished, and he shouted something about the inside of his mouth being on fire. Then, he burst into a fit of laughter. Tara watched, dumbfounded, at what was happening.

"What's happening to him?!" Laxus yelled.

Mystogan spazzed out, going from laughing to agony until he finally collapsed...Unable to take any more.

...

...

...

"H-He's down! I don't understand how, but he's down! The winner is Jura Neekis!"

Jura walked out of the arena confused, astonished, and everything inbetween. Mystogan stumbled to his feet and walked out, his head hanging as the audience laughed at him.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?!" Gajeel roared as he walked by.

"Good try!" Mirajane cheered.

"Lame..." Laxus sighed.

Tara remained silent.

Mystogan just kept walking, unable to find the words to respond to his teammates.

"THAT CONCLUDES THE FIRST DAY OF THE GRAND MAGIC GAMES! COME BACK TOMORROW FOR MORE!"

"We only have one point..." Tara muttered.

"Ah, well...There's nothing we can do except try harder tomorrow!" Mirajane said, trying to cheer everyone up.

The insults of the crowd, however, were too overpowering.

**So, this is how everything is going to work:**

**Each time I update, it will be TWICE. One will be the events of the day and the next update which will be IMMEDIATELY after the first will be what happens AFTER. So...I'll be updating TWICE every time. Good for you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL. THE ONLY CHARACTER I OWN IS TARA.**

**Here's your double update!**

The defeated guild of Fairy Tail was at the bar. Tara, Erza, Levy, Lisanna, and Juvia were sitting at a table. The guild? They were hooting and hollering about failure...

"Sheesh, the once-powerful Fairy Tail has been reduced to this? Losers!" Cana slurred, drunk.

"You weren't even there to watch! You were here getting alcohol!" Elfman shouted.

"I've been watching! On the lacrima TV in here!" Cana protested.

"In memory of our failure, let's get the party started!" Makarov cheered, also drunk.

"M-Master...!" Levy sighed.

"We did have an awful day today..." Erza said, smirking.

"We did..." Tara agreed.

"Let's kick their asses tomorrow." Laxus stated from across the room.

"I agree! Let me go, I'll take them all down!" Natsu roared.

"If the Fire Dragon's going, I should go too." Gajeel sighed.

"Weird. Where are Lu-chan and Gray?" Levy asked.

"I don't know..." Erza replied.

"Maybe they're too ashamed to show their faces." Mirajane chimed in. "They both lost in horrible ways."

"...Gray-sama..." Juvia whispered, worry in her voice.

"Oh boy..." Tara groaned.

Juvia launched into a detailed theory about how "What if Lucy confesses to Gray-sama?! But maybe Gray-sama will reject her! He has Juvia, after all!"

"Classic Juvia. Full of illusions that are long and vivid..." Lucy, who'd just shown up, sighed.

"How would that even happen?" Gray, who'd shown up as well, asked.

"Lu-chan, are you alright?" Levy asked.

"I'm fine!" Lucy replied.

"...You both took quite a beating..." Tara said, quiet.

"We're fine, don't worry about it!" Lucy said, smiling.

"Hey, where's Wendy and Carla?" Gray asked.

"They're still sick." Lisanna answered.

"LISTEN UP EVERYONE!" Makarov shouted, beer in hand. "TODAY'S FAILURE WILL ONLY BECOME THE MOTHER OF TOMORROW'S VICTORY! GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT!"

The entire guild of Fairy Tail went into an uproar of shouts and cheers. Tara couldn't help but smile along with everyone else...For once, she felt like she had a family.

"THERE'S NO 'GIVE UP' IN OUR DICTIONARY! OUR GOAL IS FIORE NUMBER ONE!" Makarov shouted even louder.

The guild, uplifted, began to shout about victory instead of defeat.

Success instead of failure.

Tara's smile grew even wider at their cheers. Her head was spinning from the volume in the room, though, and she stepped outside...

Just for a minute.

"Sheesh...Didn't think Gray and Natsu could be so loud..." Tara said, grinning as she walked out of the bar.

Guess who came walking down the street.

"Hibiki, you've had your eye on Jenny for a while now." Ren said, smirking.

"Er, what makes you say that?" Hibiki asked, a nervous smile on his face.

"...Hibiki, you got drunk and told us last night." Eve said, hands in his pockets.

"But I was drunk. I had no idea what I was saying." Hibiki countered.

"However, you're an honest drunk." Ren replied. "You told us where your wallet was in your room, and we found it exactly where you said it was."

"He's got a point, Hibiki." Eve added.

"Pff, whatever." Hibiki sighed.

"Oh boy..." Tara muttered, ducking back into the bar.

"Hey, that was Tara, wasn't it?"

"Go talk to her, Eve."

"W-Why? And what about you two?"

"We've, uh, got stuff to do."

"And it's obvious you like talking to her anyway."

"Ugh...Seriously?" Tara growled.

"Alright, I'll go talk to her."

Tara was right by the doorway. She could hear Eve's footsteps outside. The brunette looked over at where Erza, Lisanna, Juvia, Lucy, and Levy were seated, all of which were looking at her expectantly, as if they were saying _"Talk with him or we will kill you."_

"Oh, Tara, there you are!" Eve said cheerfully, walking inside.

"Er...Hey there." Tara sighed, surrendering.

"Do you want to go get ice cream with me? I know you don't like crowded places and...Well, look at this place." Eve asked.

"Ice cream? I don't like ice cream." Tara replied.

Eve stared at her. "...Tara, are you allergic to ice cream or have you just never had ice cream?"

"I've never had ice cream. Let's just say I didn't have much of a childhood." Tara answered dismissively.

"Well, I'm not letting you live without trying ice cream. Come on, you're going to eat ice cream whether you like it or not." Eve stated, gently grabbing her arm and pulling her out.

"But I don't want-Hey!" Tara protested as she got pulled. "I don't want ice cream!"

"You haven't even tried it yet." Eve replied, pulling her along.

Tara groaned and gave into the fact that she would have to try ice cream. She stopped resisting and Eve let her go.

"What place is open this late?" She asked.

"This one is-It's open 24 hours." Eve answered as they went down the street. "The one we're going to is world-famous for its ice cream."

The two finally reached their destination-The place was called The Frozen Stone. Eve held the door open as Tara reluctantly walked inside, and then followed her in. Since it was late, nobody was there except for the clerk.

"Hey, Eve! Glad to see you're here again!" The clerk at the front stated.

"Hey, Hiro!" Eve greeted, smiling.

"Who's this lovely lady? Is she your girlfriend?" Hiro asked.

"W-What? No!" Tara replied, somehow angry.

"Sorry, sorry!" Hiro replied.

"It's fine. But this lovely lady here is Tara, and she's never had ice cream in her life." Eve explained.

"...Then get some in her, now!" Hiro exclaimed. "What flavor, miss?"

"I'd prefer it if I didn't have anything." Tara muttered.

"Just get her what I usually get: Sweet cream vanilla, cookie dough, and chocolate chips." Eve said, putting a hand on Tara's shoulder. "Oh, and one for me, too!"

Tara shrugged his hand off, annoyance seeping through her. Hiro nodded, and opened the glass display of all the flavors. He pulled out two scoops of sweet cream vanilla and put them on the counter. Closing the case, he then went into another display case with different toppings and pulled out two large pieces of cookie dough. He crushed them into smaller pieces and mixed them into the sweet cream vanilla. Finally, he got two spoonfuls of chocolate chip and put them on top. Scooping up the newly made ice cream, he put the two scoops into little red cups for the two Mages.

"That'll be 8 jewel." Hiro stated, going back to the cash register.

"I'll pay for mine." Tara sighed, reaching into her pocket.

"Nope, this is a special case. I'm paying for this." Eve said, reaching into his pocket, pulling out his wallet, and paying for the ice cream. Hiro handed the two their cups of ice cream with spoons, and Eve bid farewell to the clerk. He nodded goodbye and they walked out of the store.

"How do you know him?" Tara asked.

"I'm a regular here." Eve answered. "Now go on, eat it."

"Ugh...Do I have to?" Tara asked.

"Yes, you do." Eve replied. "Then I can die a hero."

"Fine..." Tara muttered.

She hesitantly took a spoonful of it and put it in her mouth. Tara's eyes widened at the flavor-It was as if she was eating a piece of...Heaven. Eve patted her shoulder, feeling accomplished. Tara swallowed the ice cream, her eyes still wide.

"...Since when has such a wonderful thing existed?" Tara asked, eating another spoonful.

"Since mankind first developed a soul." Eve answered, laughing.

Tara started eating more, and more, and more. Tara would've gone back to the bar, but...He just bought her ice cream. A part of every person's childhood...She figured she probably owed him at least a conversation. The two walked around the town, having a quiet conversation between spoonfuls of ice cream. When the two were done, they threw the cups and spoons into a trash can.

"...I feel like I owe you money." Tara said.

"You don't. You needed to experience ice cream." Eve said, grinning.

"Ugh...Still." Tara sighed.

"Uh, Tara? You have ice cream on your face." Eve said, slightly amused.

"What? Where?" Tara asked, swiping her face with her sleeve.

"Just let me get it." Eve replied. He took his thumb and slowly wiped the ice cream off of Tara's face.

Tara felt heat rush into her cheeks. _No, please don't blush..._ She told herself.

"There you go." Eve said, licking his thumb.

"E-Er, thanks..." Tara said, slightly embarrassed.

"No problem!" Eve replied cheerfully, smiling at her.

Tara looked away. _Sheesh._

"Hey, just so you know, I'm willing to pay for ice cream whenever you want it." Eve said, laughing.

"You don't have to." Tara replied, somewhat surprised.

"But I want to, Tara. And you probably want to get back to your guild, don't you?" He asked.

"Well, I mean-...I probably should get back." Tara replied.

"You probably should. I'll see you tomorrow at the Games, then." Eve said, nodding.

"Yeah, you will." Tara said. "Bye." She turned around and walked back towards the bar.

Eve knew she'd turn around. _3...2...1..._

Just like before, Tara glanced over her shoulder. Eve winked at her, causing her to look forward and walk away even faster.

_Bye._

**Yes, the clerk is named after Hiro Mashima. I wanted to name him SOMETHING awesome, so there you go. This chapter is full of just...Fluff. FLUFF EVERYWHERE! And yes, the ice cream store they went to MIGHT have been a reference to Cold Stone :)**  
**Anyway, there will be a Christmas chapter when the time comes, so look forward to that! Kuz...I know you all want a chapter for the holidays. So that's what will happen. Super special chapter for the holidays!**


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL. THE ONLY CHARACTER I OWN IS TARA.**

**Yes, this is late. I was spending time with my family, which is very important to me. So, yeah.**

**BUT MERRY FRIGGIN CHRISTMAS! I GOT A 3DS!**

**AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**Also, very sorry this (and the second one) is so short. I have, like...NO time during the holidays. These were written in very short amounts of free time I've had over Winter Break, so...Yeah _**

**SOHAPPY*SQUEAL***

If Tara hated Halloween, she absolutely, completely, utterly, and _totally HATED _Christmas. Annoying children running around, fantasizing about a person who simply breaks into your house and gives you things but doesn't exist. All the festive cheer that rang throughout every person irritated her, perhaps because she had never been able to celebrate the holiday herself.

Maybe she just didn't understand.

That morning, Tara awoke to a bunch of cheering and laughter. Letting out an irritated huff, she grouchily got out of her bed and with the deepest scowl she could muster, walked into the crowded living room of the inn they had rented out.

"Is there a reason that everyone's being loud when it's 3 in the morning?" She growled.

"Oh, Tara, it's Christmas! Come on, be cheerful for once in your life." Lucy said, a huge grin on her face.

"I'm...Not a Christmas-y type of person." Tara responded, taking a seat on the couch.

"How do you not like Christmas?!" Lucy asked, astonished. She hung up a little red ornament on the tall Christmas tree.

"Everyone's happy for no reason. We get trees that do nothing but get pine needles everywhere, spend a lot of jewels on presents of all things, hang up ornaments that we'll only take down a little while later, and play a bunch of repetitive Christmas songs." She replied, sitting down on a nearby couch.

"Tara-san...Christmas is wonderful! Everyone is happy all at once. Don't you like...Happiness?" Wendy asked, staring at Tara with puppy eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with happiness...I just don't like how hyper and annoying it can make people." Tara replied.

"But it brings out the good side of people, too, Tara..." Levy stated. "Don't be Scrooge."

"I don't mean to be. I just...Don't like this holiday." Tara muttered.

"You don't like _any _holiday." Natsu said from across the room.

"You're right, I really don't." She agreed, rubbing her eyes.

"Well, too bad, Tara. Fairy Tail rules dictate that every member available has to hang at least one ornament." Lucy said, clapping her hands together and smiling.

"...I wasn't aware of this." Tara said, glaring at the blonde-haired Mage.

"Doesn't matter! You have to!" Makarov shouted with a drunken laugh.

The Celestial Sprit Mage reached into a box by the Christmas tree. Tara couldn't really see what was inside from her angle, but she was fairly certain it was full of Christmas ornaments. Lucy seemed to carefully study her choices, until she finally decided on one.

"Here, hang this one up." She said, holding the small ornament out to Tara.

Tara stood up. Lucy was holding out a miniature snowglobe, only an inch and a half tall and an inch wide. It had a little white thread looped through the top of it, so as to hang it up. In it was a little smiling snowman. The fake snow inside the snowglobe settled around the snowman, glittering a bit in the light.

"Fine, okay." Tara muttered. She approached the tall Christmas tree and looked at the available space. She settled on a somewhat bare space near the top. Standing on the tips of her toes (she's a bit on the short side), she carefully hung the small snowglobe on one of the branches.

"Good spot, Tara-san!" Wendy said, her smile growing even wider.

"Er, thanks..." Tara replied, backing away from the tree.

"Oh, by the way, all of the guilds in the Grand Magic Games are going to the bar for a party. Us, Mermaid Heel, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus..." Lucy said, grinning.

"Ugh, do I have to go?" Tara groaned.

"Yes, you do." Erza said from behind.

"AH! Erza! Don't scare me like that..." Tara shouted, startled.

"Sorry." Erza replied, nodding.

"About the party, er...Is Raven Tail coming?" Tara asked.

"Thankfully, no..." Lucy said, looking away.

**~Several Hours Later~**

Tara had settled down in a corner, far away from all the people. Fairy Tail had arrived first, since they tend to occupy the bar the most anyway. Then came Mermaid Heel, then Lamia Scale, then Sabertooth, then Quatro Cerberus. The last guild was Blue Pegasus, who hadn't shown up yet.

They're 20 minutes late.

_Do they want to be fashionably late, or something...? _Tara wondered. The thought amused her. Out of the corner of Tara's eye, she noticed Mirajane hang something over the doorway. Tara couldn't quite make out what it was, as she was in the corner farthest away from the door. Mirajane walked away to go serve another table.

Then...

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Oh, Tara, can you get the door? I'm a little bit busy here!" Mirajane called.

"Yeah, sure!" Tara called back, standing up and walking toward the door.

She knew it would be Blue Pegasus at the door. She opened the door to a grinning Eve Tearm.

"Hey, Tara! Sorry we're late." Eve greeted.

"I was hoping you wouldn't show up at all." Tara responded, a blank expression on her face.

"Well, we're here anyway. It's not like we were excited to come, or anything." Ren stated from behind Eve, who had stepped inside the doorway.

"That's a shame."

"Heeeeyyyy, Taaaarrrraaaaa~" Cana slurred, seated near the bar.

"What, Cana?" Tara asked, slightly annoyed.

"Look what's aboooove youuuuu..." She slurred again.

Tara sighed and looked up. Hanging above her and Eve was a bright green mistletoe.

_...You have GOT to be kidding me..._


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL! The only character I own is Tara.**

**Sorry the second one was so short. I'm writing these at various different moments of free time (something I have very little of, what with the holidays and family and stuff), so yeah. Sorry.**

"So _that's _what Mirajane was hanging up..." Tara stated with realization. She hadn't bothered to find out what it was when she answered the door...Now she wished she had.

"Come on, guys...Let's be real here..." Eve said, laughing nervously.

"No, Christmas rules are rules." Lucy stated.

Everyone in the bar had gone silent, and turned to look at the scene unfolding at the entrance. Cana and Mirajane were high-fiving, Lucy and Erza were grinning, and Tara could pretty much _feel _the smirks of the Blue Pegasus members behind her.

"Come on, this is ridiculous." Tara said, her tone going dark. "I am _not _going to kiss him..."

"Yes you are. You have to." Levy chimed, smiling.

"This is unfair...You're all ganging up on us." Eve sighed, shaking his head.

"Yes we are!" Lucy cheered.

"Just do it already, I'm bored." Gray sighed.

Tara and Eve looked at each other, then back at everyone else.

"Are you all being serious?" Tara asked.

"Yep."

"Alright, fine."

"Wait, what-"

Very quickly, Eve had moved his hand to the left side of Tara's face and turned her head to the right. Then, he leaned down a bit and kissed her before she could react.

Tara could only describe it as a cold yet refreshing chill, sort of like a blizzard. Before she knew it he had pulled away.

"Are you all happy now?" Eve asked to the audience.

Several 'yesses' had resounded around the audience. They all eventually returned to their business, and the familiar loud chatter had returned. Tara simply stood there in shock as Ren, Jenny, the Rabbit, Ichiya, and Hibiki walked in, grinning a bit. She could feel the heat rush to her cheeks, and she looked down in pure embarrassment.

"I-I'm going to go back to my corner now..." Tara muttered.

"Yeah, I'll go with you." Eve muttered in reply.

Tara didn't object-Not today. The two simply sat down in the corner in silence for a few minutes.

"Er...Sorry about that. I-I knew they wouldn't let us off..." Eve said, breaking the silence.

Tara shook her head. "I, uh, um...It's fine."

Silence.

The horribly awkward silence.

"Was it your first?" Eve asked.

"Er...My first what?" She replied.

"Your first kiss." He answered.

Tara nodded. It was.

Tara normally couldn't care less about that sort of thing. She figured either some random idiot would kiss her and she would proceed to punch them in the face, or nobody at all would kiss her which was fine with her. This was different than what she had expected. She figured that Eve _was _an idiot on certain occasions, but she didn't particularly want to punch him in the face. Despite her generally-irritated attitude toward the Snow Mage, she _didn't _want to punch him in the face. She actually kind of enjoyed his company-She couldn't help but smile internally at his cheeky behavior.

Not that she'd _ever _tell him that.

_Ever._

But this? This was just embarrassing. She couldn't do much but sit at the table in the corner.

"Oh, er...Sorry...Again..." Eve mumbled.

"It's fine...I'd rather it be you than some pervert on the street. I...Suppose you can say I didn't mind." Tara replied, quiet.

Eve grinned, just a bit. "So you _did _enjoy it then?"

Tara's head snapped up to look at him. "W-What?! I never said that!"

"Well, Tara...I mean, _I _enjoyed it, so-"

"SHUT UP!"

Eve burst into a fit of laughter. He couldn't explain it but making Tara angry was just...Hilarious.

Absolutely hilarious.

"Ugh...You're annoying as hell..." Tara growled.

"But you love me anyway!" Eve said, smiling.

"I swear to Mavis, I am going to take this fork off the table and stab you in _the most painful place possible._" She muttered.

"Sure, whatever." Eve said, laughing.

"Ugh...Sometimes, I seriously want to bash your head in." Tara mumbled.

"Sure, sure. Can we just talk now? As friends?"

**~Several Hours Later~**

"Bye, everyone! Thanks for coming!" Mirajane called, waving.

People were filing out of the bar, all in groups. People said their goodbyes and took their leave. They all were either sober and happy or overly drunk and dangerously clumsy. Everyone was smiling, and happy...

Tara maintained her usual scowl, though.

"I'll see you later, Tara." Eve said, standing up.

"Yeah, sure. Maybe." Tara replied.

"I will." He stated. "Tomorrow."

"Maybe."

**YAY**


End file.
